99 All For You

Steven found himself standing on a sidewalk. Around him he could see apartment buildings made of brick. In the distance he could see tall skyscrapers reaching into the sky. He looked down at the asphalt street next to him. He willed for his body to change and it once more became youthful, looking just like he did when he first entered the world of Release that Witch. He began to walk.

He could recognize where he was. The buildings were too distinctive. In the distance he could see the Empire State building. He was in New York City, the place where he grew up. The streets were completely devoid of people, something most unusual. This was not the real city, but rather a replica made in his mind.

Steven turned and saw a figure walking toward him dressed in white. As she came toward him, Steven walked to meet her. Steven embraced Zero in a tight hug as they met.

"So this is your world", Zero noted. "It is strange. Also amazing."

"Indeed." Steven smiled. "Let me show you around."

The two of them began walking through the streets of the city. As they walked, Steven motioned to the sides of the street which were lined with rows of regularly shaped buildings. "These are the residential buildings. They are several stories high and can fit quite a lot of people. Some might call their design monotonous, but they do their job."

Then, they started walking through some of the more interesting parts of the city. Steven pointed at all of the various stores along the street and talked about them. There was an amazing diversity present and as they continued to walk they could find almost anything imaginable. Some stores had brightly lit signs above them. As Zero walked, she was quite enthralled by the sights.

Steven brought Zero to a fast food restaurant - Kentucky Fried Chicken. Although there was no one there, that didn't mean they couldn't eat anything. It was simple enough to materialize food inside this world. They didn't even have to move to other restaurants to eat various things.

They also went to a movie theatre, just to show Zero what the movies of his world were like. The magic movies were actually better than Earth movies in some ways, but the movies on Earth were better able to make use of special effects and animation.

Steven also introduced her to all of the famous buildings in the city. They stopped outside the Empire State building and marveled at it. Then they went inside to have a look around. Despite nobody being around, the elevator still worked. Steven and Zero took it all the way to the top before heading to the roof.

From the roof, the two of them gazed over the entire city. The could see all of the tall buildings scattered around the city. Underneath were rows upon rows of apartment buildings and shops. In the distance they could see the shore and the Statue of Liberty.

"This isn't the tallest building in the city, but it is the most iconic", Steven said. "It is a building that has almost been synonymous with New York City for decades. It has been here for so long and it is now basically a feature of the city."

As the cool breeze blew around them, Steven and Zero gazed out for a few minutes longer. Finally, they decided to head back down.

They took a walk in Central Park. As they walked through the park, Zero asked a question. "Why is this park such a big deal? It looks to me like just a bunch of trees and plants. You can see plenty of those in the wilderness."

"Ah, that is simply because of how people live their lives", Steven replied. "In a city, people spend all day indoors. From morning to night they stay in an office. Even when they go outside they see the artificial environment. Buildings everywhere, paved ground. There is not a spot of nature to be seen. The park is where they go to get their fix of nature. People here don't get to see the outdoors and the wilderness much. That is why it is necessary."

"That is interesting", Zero replied. "I had never thought of that. To think that one day trees would be an infrequent sight."

After their walk through Central Park, Steven brought Zero to an arcade. Steven was quite excited. "I haven't seen one of these in so long!"

Steven walked over to a tetris machine and started playing while Zero watched. She had never seen anything like it. Steven was quite engrossed in the game. While in the past, he would have thought such games boring, after decades of living in a pre-internet world, even the old arcade games became interesting.

Steven began showing the various games to Zero and they started playing them. After getting the hang of it, Zero became quite engrossed in the games. Then, Steven thought of something else.

"Let's go somewhere else", Steven said.

"But I want to keep playing Pacman", Zero replied, still focused on her game.

"There are way more interesting games. I will show you some." Steven then dragged Zero away and they went to a different store.

Steven retrieved a device and started it up. The game inside was Pokemon. Steven was delighted by the game, a favorite of his childhood. Soon, Steven and Zero spent several hours engrossed in Pokemon.

They both had a really fun time. Knowing that it would be their last time together, they decided to make the most of it.

Steven and Zero also had sex multiple times. They did it for hours on end, in all sorts of positions. They also explored a variety of environments. Sometimes they did it on a bed, sometimes they did it on a sofa. Other times they were in the park, splayed out on the grass. They also did it on the tops of buildings, making sure to make it to every famous structure.

Several days passed within this mental world. Finally, Steven and Zero were on the docks with the Statue of Liberty close by. They had just finished another round of sex. Then, Steven spoke.

"I think this is it Zero. We have been here as long as we could and I can feel myself about to slip away. Soon, this will all end." Steven had a look of regret on his face as he gazed at Zero.

"I wish this could go on forever", Zero said. "I just want to tell you that I love you and I always will love you. You brought light into my life and you showed me the way. You have done so much for me. The time that I have spent with you was the best in my life."

Steven embraced Zero. "Being with you has been a blessing. I only hope that you can keep the time we had together in your memory. Then, I will always be with you no matter where you go. Remember me."

"I love you Zero." Steven pulled Zero in and their lips met. They sunk into a deep kiss.

The world dissolved into nothingness.